Switch-operating device.



PATENTED JAN. 24, 1905.

- T. J. GALLAHAN. SWITCH OPERATING DEVICE.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1. I

w' M L APPLICATION FILED OCT. 25, 1904.

m iuw o uapv E w H T f. Y

Witn ess es I 2% No. 780,596. PATENTED JAN. 24, 1905.

T. J. GALLAHAN.

SWITCH OPERATING DEVICE.

. APPLICATION FILED 00125, 1904.

' 2 BHEETS-SHEET 2.

j I N24 w n T/Zamas J. wlhizan, Witnesses,

. b8 u Inve nt-or V/7 t I Attorneys UNITED STATES Patented January 2 1,1905.

PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS J. OALLAHAN, OF LYNOHBURG, VIRGINIA, ASSIGNOR OF ONE- HALF TOJOHN R. WINGFIELD, OF- LYNOHBURG, VIRGINIA.

SWITCH-OPERATING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent N0. 780,596, dated January24, 1905. Application filed October 25, 1904:. Serial No. 229,964. I I

To all whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, THOMAS J. CALLAHAN, a citizen of the United States,residing at Lynchburg, in the county of Campbell and State of Virginia,have invented a new and 'useful Switch-Operating Device, of which thefollowing is a specification.

This invention relates to switch-operating devices for street-railways;and its object is to enable the switch to be operated by the motorman ofan approaching car, so as to cause the car to remain upon the main trackor to be switched off upon a siding, as may be desired.

With this and other ends in view, which will readily appear as thenature of the invention is better understood, the same consists in theimproved construction and novel ar-- rangement and combination of parts,which will be hereinafter fully described, and particularly pointed outin the claims.

In the accompanying drawings has been illustrated a simple and preferredform of embodiment of the invention, it being, however, understood thatno limitation is necessarily made to the precise structural detailstherein exhibited, but that the right is reserved to any changes,alterations, or modifications to which recourse may be had within thescope of the invention and without departing from the spirit orsacrificing the efliciency of the same.

In said drawings, Figure 1 is a perspective view of a switch-operatingmechanism constructed in accordancewith the principles of the invention,showing also the forward portion of a car equipped with mechanism foractuating said mechanism. Fig. 2 is a longitudinal vertical sectionalview taken throughthe front end of the car and actuating mechanism. Fig.3 is a transverse sectional view of the same.

Corresponding parts in the several figures are indicated by likecharacters of reference.

One of the switch-rails 2 of a railroad-track T is providedwith apivoted switch-tongue 3, which extends between one of the rails 4 of themain track and one of the guard-rails 5, a pair of which are disposedadjacent to the inner sides of the'main-line rails. Mounted uponcross-ties 6 are bearings 7 for a rockshaft 8, having at one end a crank9, which is connected by a link 10 with the switchtongue 3. The link 10extends through and is guided in a slot 11 in one of the guard-rails.

The rock-shaft 8 carries at its front end a transverse plate 12, havingapertures 13 disposed at opposite sides of the rock-shaft. Theseapertures are for the reception of the ends of a pair of levers 14:,which are fulcrumed upon a rod or shaft 15, supported upon asuitably-disposed block 16. The front ends of the levers 14: are curvedupwardly to present contact surfaces for the actuating mechanism uponthe car, which will now be described. 7

Upon the under side of the front platform of the car, which has beenindicated at 17, is mounted a bracket 18, consisting of an approximatelyhorizontal plate which is connected with the front platform by a bolt 19and spaced therefrom by a tubular spacing member 20. The front platformand the bracket member 18 are provided with alining perforations 21 22for a pair of verticallyslidable rods 23, provided at their upper endswith foot-pieces or treadles 24 and having collars 25 adjustably securedthereto beneath the front platform. Springs 26 are mounted upon the rods23 between the collars 25 and the bracket member 18 to force the saidrods normally in an upward direction.

Beneath the car is a bracket 27, with which a pair of arms 28 arepivotally connected, the free ends of said arms or links being alsopivotally connected with the lower ends of the vertically-movablespring-actuated rods 23. The arms or links are provided with stirrups29, carrying flanged wheels .or rollers 30, adapted to engage theupwardly-curved ends of the levers 14 when the ends of the links or arms28 are depressed by means of the rods 23.

The operating-levers 1a are to be suitably spaced apart between thetrack-rails, and it is obvious that the actuating-rollers 30 are to besuitably spaced apart to engage said levers.

The operation of this device will be readily understood from theforegoing description, taken in connection with the drawings heretoannexed, by those skilled in the art to which it appertains.- When a carapproaches the switch, one of the rods 23 is depressed against thetension of the spring 26 by the foot of the operator, thus causing oneof the rollers 30 to engage one of the levers 14:, which will thereby berocked upon its fulcrum, thus engaging the transverse plate 12 at thefront end of the rock-shaft 8, so as to tilt or oscillate the latter,thus causing the switch-tongue to be drawn in the proper direction,which of course is determined by operating the right or left lever, asthe case may be. If the switch is already properly set, it is obviouslyunnecessary to operate either of the rods 23, although the proper rod ispreferably depressed whenever the car approaches the switch as a matterof precaution.

This device, as will be seen, is of an extremely simple construction,and by the operation thereof a switch will be properly set in advance ofthe car without manual attendance and without trouble to the motormanother than that of depressing the proper actuating-rod with one foot. Assoon as the foot-pressure is released the action of the spring willinstantly restore the actuatingrod and its related parts to normalposition.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is- 1. Arailroad-switch including a pivoted switch-tongue, a rock-shaft having acrank, a

link connecting said crank with the switchtongue, a transverse plate atthe front end of the rock-shaft having apertures formed at oppositesides of said rock-shaft, a pair of levers having their rear endsextended through said apertures and front ends curved upwardly, andlever-engaging means connected with a car.

2. A pivoted switch-tongue, a rock-shaft having a crank, connectingmeans between said crank and switch-tongue, a transverse aperturedmember upon the rock shaft, a pair of levers extended through theapertures of said member and having their opposite ends curved upwardly,and lever-engaging means.

3. A car platform, a bracket supported horizontally below the same,vertically-movable spring-actuated rods guided in said platform andbracket, arms or links having their rear ends pivotally supported andconnected pivotally at their front ends with the springactuated rods,and roller-carrying stirrups connected with said arms or links.

at. A switch including a pivoted switchtongue, a rock-shaft having acrank, a link connecting said crank with the switch, a transverseapertured member connected with said rock-shaft, levers extendingthrough theapertures of said member and having their opposite endscurved upwardly to present contactsurfaces, in combination with acar-platform, arms or links pivotally supported under said platform,stirrups connected with said arms or links and carrying lever-engagingrollers, and vertically-movable spring-actuated rods having treadles attheir upper ends and connected pivotally at their lower ends with thefree ends of the roller-carrying arms.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto afiixedmy signature in the presence of two witnesses.

11S THOMAS X J. CALLAHA N.

mark

Witnesses;

S. G. Human, R. T. HARmsoN.

